Cecelia Dorea Potter
by dragonsaresuperaewsome
Summary: About to be brought up on charges for using underage magic, Harry Potter's see-able future was looking bleak. That was until a new chess piece entered the game; one, that Dumbledore didn't expect nor want. There was a reason she was known as Lady Potter and she would do anything to protect her little brother. Voldemort better watch out, there's a Potter on the warpath.


**Thank you to everyone for their amazing reviews and can I just apologise for my obvious mistake in forgetting about Lia's age and the fact that Harry's parents were in their twenties when they died; also the fact that it was taken at seemingly face-value who she was so I have hopefully rectified it. Sorry. It's quite funny really when I read them to see how people react especially considering I didn't expect to get any. Thank you again to everyone. **

Harry sat nervously as he stared up at the Wizengamot with bated breath. His stomach twisted as they discussed whether they should expel him from Hogwarts or not. Apparently, at the moment the only person on his side was Amelia Bones who was arguing furiously with the Minister and a pink toad. Looking desperately over to his headmaster for reassurance, he unfortunately found none as he was studiously ignored. Slumped in the chair, Harry ran a hand through his hair just as Minister Fudge called for order in the jury. Harry did not like the triumphant gleam in his eyes as he stared pompously down at him. Desperately, Harry turned to Madam Bones who shook her head slightly and smiled sadly. A sinking feeling filled his gut but he straightened his back and stared defiantly back up at Fudge; unwilling to show weakness. Just as Fudge was about to deliver the verdict, the doors of the chamber flew open with a tremendous clamour.

She was furious. Clutching at her leather briefcase, her vehement glare caused the people loitering in the main chamber of the ministry to scurry out of her way as her red hair flew behind her in a whirlwind. Snapping her fingers impatiently, workers hurried out of her way so that she could get into an elevator. Unconsciously she pulled down her pencil skirt and straightened her blazer as her heels clipped across the marble floor as she made her way down to courtroom ten. Flashing a security pass to the pink-haired auror at the door; she shoved the doors open without a care as to what she was interrupting.

Open-mouthed, Harry could only stare in shock at the woman framed in the doorway. Her mane of tangled rouge curls bounced on her shoulders as she sauntered over to the small table besides him; completely ignoring the hushed Wizengamot as she placed her briefcase upon the table and conjured a chair yet didn't sit down. Instead, Harry watched with growing hope as she stood besides him and threw him a small wink before returning her steely gaze back upon the Minister; her emerald eyes flashing behind her glasses. A small, high-pitched cough broke him out of his reverie as he smirked as the redhead besides him shuddered slightly at the shrill noise. "Excuse me but this is a Ministry matter and therefore your presence is not required during this present time." The pink toad simpered and let out a piercing giggle. Anticipating a shouting match, Harry watched as the redhead bristled with indignation. "Excuse me but since when is a simple matter of underage magic a good cause to present a minor to the Wizengamot to humiliate and degrade said minor? And to answer your question Madam Undersecretary, I am here to defend my client. I assume as a minor Mr Potter is allowed a lawyer, is he not? Or is this another case in which the Law is being misused for the benefit of a few?"

Gleefully, Harry watched as the pink toad turned red with embarrassment and the majority of the Wizengamot glared at an ashen-faced Minister. During her speech, the redhead had walked to stand in front of the Wizengamot with her arms crossed. Despite the fact that she had to look up at Fudge and was no older than twenty five, she gave the impression that she was talking down to them and that she held the power in the room; a point that was not missed by any of them. Pacing up and down now the redhead carried on, never giving time for anyone to interrupt. "Once again I come to the point of this hearing. Mr Potter has given you his side of the story and has provided a witness that collaborates with said story. Dementors _did_ attack him in Little Whinging. I believe this is the logical explanation as to what other reason would he have to cast a patronus charm? I myself was not aware that it could also be used in another instant. Surely the Jury is not expressing a wish to expel Mr Potter when he used magic to not only save himself, but his cousin who is a muggle? A muggle who would have no idea what was happening and have no way to defend himself. The Law clearly states that a minor can use magic in an emergency situation. If this is not an emergency, then what is? Now I ask the Jury for a brief break in which to talk with my client as they decide the outcome before I bring up another issue in which I would like to discuss with the Jury."

Once she had gotten their approval, she grabbed her briefcase and indicated for Harry to follow her. Opening a hidden door in the far left-hand wall, she collapsed behind an oak panelled desk. Watching between her fingers, she saw Harry close the door and perch awkwardly in her leather chair opposite her. Removing her hands from her face, she leaned back in her chair and examined him closely.

"You don't recognise me do you?" Her question made him furrow his eyebrows. Now that she had mentioned it, she did strike an uncanny resemblance to someone he had seen recently. Squinting slightly, Harry lurched backwards in shock as he recognised her. "You look like a younger version of my mother." Smirking, she folded her arms, "_Our_ mother Harry." Whipping out his wand, Harry backed up into a bookcase. Warily he studied her, his heart pounding as he considered the possibilities. He watched as she stood up and chucked her wand at him. Catching it, he stared at her in surprise and slowly lowered his wand. Gingerly, he walked towards her until they were two feet apart. Indicating to her seat, they both sat down. Running a hand through his hair, Harry squinted at her. "Is it alright if I ask you a few questions?" after getting an affirmative, Harry ploughed on

"Why didn't I know I had a sister?" he watched her uneasily as she scowled and crossed her arms. "Dumbledore had Hagrid take you from our house before I could wake up. Everyone had assumed that I died. They didn't want you to have the burden of knowing you could have had a sister." Nodding, he frowned angrily as he realised that Sirius and Remus hadn't told him. Correctly interpreting his silence, his sister leaned over to place a hand on his arm. "Remus and Sirius wanted to tell you, they did. But Dumbledore made them swear not to. Even then he had to get Mrs Weasley to watch them." Scowling, Harry nodded reluctantly and continued. "Why didn't you try to find me when you woke up?"

Sighing softly, she ran a hand through her long locks and said in no more than a whisper, "When I woke up I was in an American muggle hospital. Someone had obliviated me and replaced my memories with that of a magical orphanage. The story I knew was that I had run away but was hit by a truck and so I was in hospital. I was taken back to the orphanage and when I was eleven attended Salem's Institute for Girls. I regained my memory when I met Sirius shortly before you were cast into the Triwizard Tournament. He was able to remove my memory block and helped me devise a plan to help you. This took several months and had to be put on hold while I came here. I'm sorry Harry, I know it is a poor excuse." Tears pooled in her eyes as she glanced woefully at her brother.

Harry was angry. He was angry because of the injustice done to him and his sister. Leaning over, he placed a hand on her arm and said firmly, "It's not your fault. We'll find who ever tried to tear our family apart, okay?" once he had got a shaky smile he continued. "Now that's the majority of my questions, apart from a few simple ones. How old are you?" laughing slightly, she glared him mockingly at him. "I am twenty two and my name is Cecelia Dorea Potter." Straightening her posture, she gathered her briefcase and her wand before striding over to the hidden door. "Now, Harry, I'm going to talk to the Wizengamot about a few things, I know that are true. I need you to act as if we have discussed all this and agree with whatever I say, okay?" Once he had agreed, Cecelia smiled, "And as I am you sister, call me Lia."

The minute Harry sat in the chair; he knew that he was home free. The Minister and the pink toad both had blotchy faces and sick expressions whereas Madam Bones and several others in the jury looked smug. "Mr Potter, the Wizengamot has found you, er, innocent, of underage magic." Looking about as green as his bowler hat, Fudge turned to Lia. "And what was the second reason you wished to address the Wizengamot with, Miss?" Satisfied, Lia smirked and walked to stand in front of the Ministers podium. "Minister, Lord and Ladies of the Wizengamot; one of the subjects that I wish to bring forth is the events that occurred at the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament." Excited and harsh whispers ran around the courtroom and Lia carried on hurriedly as she saw the Minister turn puce. "Mr Potter came back with the Triwizard Cup which he claims to have been a portkey. As some of you might not know, Mr Potter claimed that Lord Voldemort had returned. My client has discussed this with me and he is willing to submit himself to the use of veritaserum and a copy of his memory of the events from when he took the Cup, to be shown to the court. Is this satisfactory?" once she had permission to do so and Harry had been administered veritaserum and given his memory, Lia began to question him. "Mr Potter, on the night of the third task, did you take the Cup with Cedric Diggory?"

"Yes."

"Was said Cup a portkey?"

"Yes."

"Where did the portkey take you?"

"We arrived in a graveyard. We thought it might have been one last obstacle."

"Is it true you were injured?"

"Yes, an acromantula had bitten my leg."

"Was there anyone in this graveyard at this point and can you name them?"

"Yes, there was Peter Pettigrew." Shocked gasps ran throughout the courtroom. Elated, Lia pressed on eagerly. "How did you know it was Peter Pettigrew?"

"In my third year at Hogwarts he tried to kill me." Shrieks filled the air as most of the witches looked ill.

"Did anyone try to help you? Did you tell anyone about this?" Lia watched with hidden glee as Fudge's eyes darted around the room frantically.

"Yes, my friends Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley our Professor Remus Lupin and my Godfather, Sirius Black helped to stop him. My friends and I both told Professor Dumbledore and Minster Fudge of this but the Minister said that Sirius had confounded us." A deafening silence hung in the air as the courtroom seemed to hold its breath collectively while simultaneously glaring at Fudge. "Can you tell us why Sirius Black tried to save you?"

"He saw a picture of Pettigrew's animagus form in the newspaper that Minister Fudge gave him in Azkaban. He knew that if Voldemort ever returned then Pettigrew would try to kill me or take me to Voldemort. He escaped Azkaban to try and save me. He never killed those muggles either. Sirius went after Pettigrew because he was my parent's secret keeper. Pettigrew cut off his finger, blew the street apart and joined the rats down in the sewer." Outrage swelled within the courtroom as everyone called for justice. It took several minutes to calm everyone down before Madam Bones asked to continue with the interrogation of the Third Task.

"Mr Potter, could you tell us what happened after you realised it was Pettigrew in the graveyard?"

"I tried to warn Cedric, but my leg gave out beneath me and Pettigrew murdered him." a morose quiet was palpable in the room as everyone bowed their heads in remembrance. "What happened next, Mr Potter?"

"I could not fight, my leg was badly injured and I could not think straight as pain clouded my head. Pettigrew tied me to a gravestone and placed a huge cauldron in front of me. He had been carrying a small bundle that he had placed at my feet when he began a ritual. He took bone of the father, unknowingly taken; he cut off his arm, flesh of the servant willingly given. Then he took my blood- blood of the enemy forcibly taken. He added all of these to the cauldron and then opened the bundle. I screamed when I saw it. It was a baby; but it was dark red and scaled. It was disgusting. He dropped it in the cauldron then fell to the floor. Steam rose from it and Lord Voldemort stepped out of the smoke in a new body. He summoned his servants, the Death Eaters. Before they arrived, Lord Voldemort told me about his family. His mother was a descendent of Salazar Slytherin, but she was nothing more than a squib whereas his father was a muggle. When his Death Eaters arrived, he punished them for being disloyal. He said that only one of them was a worthy servant, but he was stationed at Hogwarts and that was how the Cup was a portkey. He named a few of them. Once he had finished speaking with them, he cast the cruciatus curse on me. He then had Pettigrew cut me down and given back my wand. Voldemort then said we would duel and tried to make me bow. I refused. He cast the Imperius on me, I resisted. We casted at the same time and our wands connected. A gold line appeared between our wands and enveloped us in a cage. Voldemort was scared, I could tell. Small beads began to slide along the gold thread; I knew that if they touched my wand, I would lose. So I pushed them towards Voldemorts wand and they connected. It produced a type of priori incantatem; echoes of the last people he killed came to speak with me; Cedric, an old muggle, Bertha Jorkins and then finally, my mum and dad. They told me to break the connection and Cedric asked me to bring his body back to his parents. They surrounded Voldemort to give me some time to escape. When I arrived back at Hogwarts, the Minister refused to believe me on the basis of Rita Skeeter's lies."

The courtroom was quiet until a slow yet audible roar of fury emitted from the jury as they turned as one to face the Minister. In the end, Madam Bones had to restore order, yet the expression upon her face promised quick and painful justice. "Is that all you wish to ask your client under the influence of veritaserum?"

Thoughtfully, Lia turned to face her. "Madam Bones, I have a few more questions to ask my client if that is possible." After getting the go-ahead, Lia studied her brother carefully. "Mr Potter, how many times since October in 1980 have you faced Voldemort?" Harry took a shuddering breath before answering in a monotone, "three more time since; in my first, second and fourth years at Hogwarts." Horrified silence engulfed the courtroom at this thought. Absently nodding her head, Lia pushed on. "As the court knows, all letters are sent to potential students with unusually accurate addresses. All of these letters are written by the headmaster and magically applied with the deputy's signature. Mr Potter, could you please repeat what was on the front of your Hogwarts letter?"

Here, Dumbledore finally made to stand up but a withering glare from most of the females in the room had him sit down and wait fearfully for the answer. "It said, _Mr H. Potter, The Cupboard under the Stairs, No. 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey."_ Savagely, Lia turned to glare triumphantly at the headmaster. "Mr Potter, you stay with your maternal Aunt and Uncle, correct?" after getting a positive answer, Lia persisted. "Did they ever physically or mentally abuse you? And if so, can you give a brief over view of how and why."

Lia felt sick, but she listened as her brother listed the abuse. "For the first ten years of my life, I slept in the cupboard under the stairs, cooked their meals cleaned their house and did whatever they could find for me. They never physically hurt me, my Uncle would swing at me sometimes and my Aunt would dot he same with her frying pan, but they did encourage my cousin to beat me. When I used magic, they would make me spend weeks on end n my cupboard. When I got my Hogwarts letter, I moved into Dudley's second bedroom. In my second year, my uncle fitted a lock and a cat flap into the door and put bars on my window. I was punished for using magic by not having anything to eat. I was not even allowed to use the word 'magic' and the neighbours were told that I attended St. Brutus's Secure Centre of Incurably Criminal Boys. I was left at my Aunts because Professor Dumbledore said it was the safest place for me; I know that Professor McGonagall protested, but she was ignored."

Shaking, Lia turned to face an ashen court. "In light of this information, I would like to petition to be placed as Mr Potter's guardian." Here, Dumbledore stood up and smiled condescendingly at her. "I'm afraid that is not possible as Mr Potter must stay with a blood relative due to wards I placed around him." Practically growling at him, Lia snarled viciously. "You do mean the blood wards that you tied to Mr Potter's magic? Might I add that these same wards sole purpose is to reduce Mr Potter's full magical potential?"

During all this, Harry had shook off the last few remnants of the veritaserum and gazed at Dumbledore in shock and growing anger. Feeling betrayed, Harry shook off Dumbledore's outstretched hand and stumbled backwards. Turning to Lia, he mouthed wordlessly while at the moment all she could do was smile reassuringly at him. A cough drew their attention towards a furious Wizengamot. Smiling down at Lia and Harry, Madam Bones said kindly, "And why do you wish to appeal to be Mr Potter's guardian?"

Breathing leisurely, Lia spoke quietly. "I wish to rectify a mistake made fourteen years ago when I woke up in an American hospital with no memory or way to help my brother. I wish to appeal to be Harry's guardian on the fact that I am his Head of House and sister." Seeing the sceptical looks she was receiving, Lia flashed the Head of House Ring that sat proudly on her finger; effectively ending all arguments as to who she was. Unable to believe how badly his plans had fallen, Dumbledore sunk into his chair and closed his eyes. Looking down upon the serene yet determined witch and the desperate young man who was trying to plead with his eyes at her, Madam Bones smiled gently at them. "I do not see a problem with that Lady Potter, and may I congratulate you and your brother on your long-awaited reunion yet also apologise that it had to be on such baseless causes," Here Madam Bones glare vehemently at Fudge before turning to the court. "Based upon the evidence provided by Mr Potter, I declare that Sirius Black is innocent of all charges and shall be awarded fifty thousand galleons in compensation. Also an arrest warrant for one Peter Pettigrew will be issued for the deaths of twelve muggles, multiple damages during the war, condemning an innocent man to Azkaban and the betrayal of the Potters to Lord Voldemort. On the case of Lord Voldemort, there will be a declaration in the Evening Prophet today apologising to Mr Potter and confirming that the Dark Lord has indeed, returned. Also, an investigation into Mr Potter's years at Hogwarts will begin and compensation and justice be given where it is needed. Last, but not least, I call for a vote on a new Minister of Magic. All in favour?"

Only the pink toad didn't raise her hand. Contentedly, Madam Bones passed the notion and dismissed the Wizengamot. Picking up her briefcase, Lia turned round just in time to be engulfed in a hug form Harry. Stepping back, she could see the undisguised hope and gratitude on his face. "Thank you. Nobody has ever stood up for me like that." Lia's heart melted as she clung to her brother. "No matter what happens, I will always be here for you. Just know that mum, dad and I are so proud of you." She promised before kissing his forehead gently. Gathering up her things they turned to face Madam Bones. Smiling, Lia thanked her profusely. Chuckling, Madam Bones shook Lia's hand. "Call me Amelia; I believe you've earned the right to. I'm sorry to the both of you for such a fuss yet I'm glad that you were able to meet and the truth came out." Studying them, Amelia nodded imperceptibly, "I would like to keep in contact with you Lady Potter if that were possible. I believe that you might just turn everything on its head around here and goodness knows we need it." Flustered but happy, Lia agreed and discretely handed her a piece of paper with their floo address. Once they said goodbye, Lia threw an arm around Harry's shoulders and together they left the Ministry of Magic.

Several weeks later found the Potter siblings sitting cross legged on the floor of the Potter Manor Library with their eyes closed. Serenely, Harry warped his inner mind to represent something meaningful to him, a place where he felt safe and secure. Slowly, the image in his mind unfurled to reveal the Library in which he was sitting. Smiling, Harry began to sort though his memories and place them in designated aisles. The more precious or important the memory, the further into the maze of bookcases you had to go. Finally, his most significant memories were locked within the family grimoire. In reality, the family grimoire was resting on a marble pillar and encased in a glass case in which only those with Potter blood or married into the Potter family, could reach into. In Harry's mind, the grimoire was similarly secured, but he had also added multiple runes and wards in a ten foot radius, then five foot and finally a three foot radius. Satisfied, Harry pulled away from the inner works of his mind to face the in-between. Darkness filled the void around the bright bubble that was his memories, his very personality. Breathing deeply, Harry began to construct the void to look like a garden. Yet this garden was anything but ordinary. Giant eagles swooped overhead with familiar emerald eyes while snowy owls stood on sentry duty at the top of tall marble pillars dotted around randomly in the garden. A gravel path led to a courtyard, along the path Grim's and Werewolves patrolled viciously. The courtyard itself was cobblestoned and on top of a slab of granite stood statues of his family that would move when an intruder set foot in the courtyard. His mother, father and sister all had their wands drawn and pointing down the path towards the high Iron Gate at the end. Examining this closely, Harry added several wards and runes to the various pillars so that if an intruder walked past, he would know and they would be attacked viciously by various spells. Zooming towards the Iron Gate, Harry began to construct thick stone walls to surround the garden. Worriedly, he observed the thin tear off to the left of the wall around his garden. Striding closer, he realised that it looked like his scar. Carefully, Harry cast several wards, runes and placed several muggle machines around it and finally encased it in hardened mercury. Pleased with all that he had accomplished, Harry opened his eyes.

Nursing a cup of tea, Lia smirked as she watched Harry blink suddenly at the bright light. Sipping her herbal tea, she offered it to Harry who shuddered. Laughing, she grinned at his reaction as she remembered when he had drunk some of her special teas before. Settling down, she turned to Harry. "How are your Occlumency shields coming?"

Seeing his bright face, Lia sunk back into the sofa and pulled her over sized cardigan closer. Once he had finished, she nodded at him, impressed. "Would you like me to test them?" receiving a positive answer, Lia took a deep breath and pointed her wand at his head. Suddenly, she was standing in front of an imposing gate. Cold, she shuddered and cautiously pushed open the gate. Walking down the path, she could see her animagus form swooping overhead while multiple Hedwig's glared at her from their posts. As she passed the first one, Hedwig began to screech continuously. Surprised, Lia stumbled and pointed her wand at Hedwig, only to gasp as her skin began to blister. Running forwards, she was met with the enraged eyes of Remus in his werewolf form. Defeating him, Lia began to run as Sirius began to snap at her heels. Trying to ignore Sirius while being battered from numerous eagles from above and the amount of spell damage she received, when she finally stumbled into the courtyard and saw herself, her mother and father; Lia fell to her knees and pulled out of Harry's head.

Exhausted, Lia collapsed onto the sofa and glared at Harry; yet also smiled at him to convey how incredibly pleased and proud she was. Giving him a thumbs-up, Lia groaned and buried her face into a cushion. Sniggering at her dramatics, Harry passed her, her herbal tea and sat down beside his sister. Picking up a book on Runic Magic, Harry spent the next few hours till lunch reading and questioning his sister. Bouncing, Dobby popped into the Library to announce that Lunch was ready. Thanking him, the two siblings walked down to the Dining Room to eat cream of mushroom soup with tiger bread that Winky had so kindly made for them.

At the beginning of the summer, Lia had contacted them and asked if they would like to serve the Potter Household. Needless to say that both elves were thrilled and had to be made to promise that they would get at least eight hours of sleep and three meals a day to make sure they were alright. As they finished Lunch, the fireplace in the Dining Room flared and Madam Bones stepped elegantly out, quickly followed by her niece who stumbled a bit. Standing up from the table, Lia greeted Madam Bones while Harry offered a seat to Susan. Once they had all been seated and presented with a tea service, Lia inquired as to why they were there.

Smiling slyly, Amelia sipped her tea and took out an advanced edition of the Evening Prophet. "Well as you know the Wizengamot has been deciding on who should become the next Minister of Magic. And it has taken longer we thought it would necessarily due to Voldemort's return and such but we have finally come to a conclusion." Here, Amelia opened the newspaper. On the front page was a picture of Lia striding through the Ministry with her hair flying behind her as she glared vehemently around her. Even from a photo, power seemed to radiate from the black and white moving picture. Stunned, Lia unceremoniously choked on her tea when she read the headline, _Lady Potter voted in as the new Minister of Magic_. Below this title was a smaller headline stating, _Watch out You-Know-Who, Potter on the warpath!_

Grey-faced, Lia pointed to herself and squeaked, "Me?" Unable to hold back any longer, Harry burst out laughing. Susan was also giggling quietly as she watched Lia's expression. Amelia was trying to hold back a smirk as the Lady Potter slumped in her chair.

Shaking her self, Lia straightened up in her chair. Turning to Amelia she raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about this?" When Amelia nodded enthusiastically, Lia began to grin maniacally. Harry practically howled in laughter as he watched Amelia seem slightly less sure now; Susan wasn't far behind and had to lean on Harry to stop from falling off her chair. Conjuring some parchment and a quill, Lia chucked them at Harry and instructed him to take notes. Leaning back in her chair, Lia readjusted her glasses before she began. "First of all Amelia, I'm going to need a new Madam Undersecretary, would you like a pay rise?" Shocked, Amelia nodded and opened her mouth yet closed it with a smile when Lia grinned at her. "Would you be so kind then to contact Mad-Eye Moody? I believe he isn't enjoying retirement and would a good Head of the Auror Department, don't you think?" Amelia laughed and agreed while Harry scribbled it down furiously. "Alright, next we need to up the budget for the DMLE and reduce the training regime by half yet also increasing it in intensity. Also we need to improve communications between all magical creatures. Harry, write down that we need to arrange a meeting with the goblins of Gringotts. Werewolf rights need to be implemented into the system; they are people not animals. Centaurs should also be included in this as well as mermen. House Elves should be given the basic rights to leave a family if they are treated poorly and the guarantee that they will be treated fairly. We will discuss with the goblins what we can do to improve our relationship when we set up this meeting. We'll start with this then move onto a wider basis. Also as Voldemort convinced the Giants to join him last time, we should send a liaison to them. Is this alright so far?" Lia enquired anxiously to Amelia who beamed at her and confirmed that it was just what they needed.

Smiling happily, Lia continued. "Alright then. During all this we need to speak with the Director of the DMLE on taking in all previous Death Eaters who claimed to be under the Imperius and questioned under veritaserum in a public trial. No bribes, pleads or threats are to be listened to when taking them in. Also get them to research Voldemort under his real name of Tom Marvolo Riddle Jnr; I want all that we know already in tomorrow's Daily Prophet as well, his real blood status etc; we need to discredit him as much as possible before everything gets out of control. Also we should change the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts to become 'Muggle Communications Division' and give them a bigger budget as well. New wards should be erected around the Ministry such as those who bear the Dark Mark cannot enter or those with ill intent. Perhaps we could speak with the goblins about this as well. Erm, that's all I can think of at the moment. If you floo in tomorrow Amelia before nine then we can head off to the Ministry together. Susan can stay here if she wants; Harry gets quite fed up with no one his age here, despite what he tells me. The Manors Unplottable and has several family spells hiding it so it's fairly secure."

Lia stared nervously at everyone as they seemed to gaze at her open-mouthed. "What? Is it too much?" Her stomach plummeted at the thought. Seeing this, Amelia quickly shook out of her daze and beamed encouragingly at Lia. "Too much? It's most of the things wrong with our world that we need to fix! It's brilliant." Clasping hands, Amelia promised to be back before nine in the morning the next day. Disappearing into the floor, Amelia squealed mentally at the news that was about to shake the Wizarding World. Smiling shyly, Susan thanked both the Potter's for their hospitality. "I would love to come back tomorrow if that's alright. My Aunt never said, but that copy of the Evening Prophet isn't due to come out till seven o'clock tonight, so she can get a lot of things done before then. Goodbye." Holding onto the parchment that Harry had written on, Susan waved before following her Aunt through the floo. Watching Harry grin goofily at the floo, Lia smirked. Leaning on the fireplace mantle, she sipped her tea. "Susan's very pretty isn't she Harry?" Lia's laughter at her brother's face could be heard for miles; if the Potter's had any neighbours.

Anxiously Lia altered her glasses as they rested on her nose. Turning to Winky with a look of despair she cried, "I don't know what to do! If I dress a certain way or have my hair in a certain way I'm going to be judged and what if they decide I'm not good enough to be Minister?" Lia groaned and let her head fall onto her vanity table. Placing her hands on her hips, Winky glared at her Mistress. "Miss doesn't need to worry! You will be the best Minister ever! And Winky will help you look the part." Nodding her head decisively, Winky brought out Lia's best muggle business suit and finest robes. Thanking Winky, Lia pulled them on and sat down as Winky began to brush her hair. Ten minute later, Lia stood gaping at her reflection in her long mirror. Winky had done a wonderful job. A smart azure jacket covered a white v-neck and a dark grey pencil skirt covered her legs with black stilettos; her black robes held the Potter crest and Winky had changed them to end at her knees and tapered in at the waist where a thick grey belt held it all together above her waist.

While the clothes were magnificent, Winky had gone all out with Lia's hair; it was twisted into an elegant French knot at the back with several strands of her naturally curly hair pulled out at the front to frame her face. Tears pooled in her eyes as Lia turned around to pull Winky into a hug. By the end, both females were crying happy tears as Winky handed Lia her briefcase. Waving her wand, Lia removed all traces of tears form both of them as they walked down the stairs.

When Lia entered the Dining Room, Harry spat out his juice all over the table. Giggling, Winky cleared it up as Dobby handed Lia an enlarged flask of her favourite herbal tea. Kindly, she thanked Dobby and shrunk the flask to fit in her briefcase. Lia had just finished her toast and tea when the fireplace flared and Amelia and Susan stepped out. Greeting them, she offered some tea before they left but Amelia declined. "Well Minister, are we ready for the off? Oh, Director Moody also asked to meet at the far end of the Main Chamber so that we can all walk in together. I must warn you, reporters are buzzing around the Ministry like flies." Lia raised her eyebrows but sighed and smiled softly. Kissing Harry on the forehead, she promised to be back by seven in the evening. Stepping into the floo, her last image was Harry grinning proudly at her while Susan gave her a small thumbs-up; Dobby was trying to comfort an emotional Winky who couldn't stop laughing or crying.

Striding out into the Ministry without missing a beat, Lia was met with Amelia grinning at her while Moody grunted at her and gave a barking laugh. Shaking hands with the legendary Auror, Lia felt slightly more confident as they followed behind her into the Main Chamber. Instantly she regretted wearing heels as they announced their presence to the hunting dogs of the Daily Prophet. Pushing her way thorough, Lia ignored their questions with a smile and a shake of the head. Once in front of the elevators, one reporters question caught her ears. Turning round, she faced the man. "Excuse me, what did you say?" Faced with the Minister's questioning gaze and his fellow colleagues, the man blushed and stammered, "I asked if you had a message for the wizarding community."

As the silence continued, the man blushed even more and ducked his head. Smiling, Lia nodded her head. "A good question and the only one I will be willing to answer." There was a scramble for quills as the reporters all waited earnestly for the new Ministers message. Taking a deep breath, she surveyed the people in front of her. As they had shoved their way through the journalists, the ministry workers had all stopped to listen to their new Minister. "During the last war, there was barely a family in Britain that wasn't impacted with devastating effect to our community. Everyone lived in fear of a man whose name some still cannot utter. But this is _our_ world; _our_ community. And I will not stand by and let a jumped-up schoolboy dictate us through fear. If Voldemort wishes then we shall fight fire with fire, and by the end he shall stand alone, while the Wizarding World ushers in a new era. Voldemort bases his beliefs on fear, greed and power and he has been prying upon these in the magical world and it is time someone put their foot down. I intend to try because if nobody takes a stand then we have already lost. Have a good day." And with that final word, Lia swept into the elevator with Amelia and Mad-Eye. Her last view was of a hushed and awed crowded Main Chamber.

Silence reigned in the elevator as Lia's eyes darted between Amelia and Mad-Eye before she awkwardly asked "Was that too much to begin with?" Mad-Eye glanced at her appraisingly before sharing a look with Amelia. Mad-Eye cracked a grin as he turned back to her as Amelia chuckled. "It was exactly what they needed to hear; straightforward, precise and honest. Now they'll be able to look up to you and follow you as they think of you as one of them, not someone who acts like a dictator." Moody barked out in laughter again as he exited the elevator.

Turning to Amelia, she raised an eyebrow as the elevator doors opened once again and they walked towards Lia's new office. Walking around, Lia turned back to a smirking Amelia. "This, is my office?" Laughing, Lia shook her head and looked over the large office. In front of the grand fireplace stood three comfortable looking leather chintz chairs with a small coffee table in the middle. At the far end, one whole wall was glass overlooking Diagon Alley while cream drapes were tied at the side, in case she wanted to close them. In front of the glass wall stood a magnificent oak panelled desk with a leather high-backed chair. Sitting down, Lia placed her briefcase on her desk and leaned back. Glancing over at Amelia, Lia laughed and said, "I don't think I'm ever going to get used to this."

Indulgently, Amelia smiled at Lia before placing a set of parchment on her desk. "I'm sorry to overburden you on your first day, but we need these signed as quickly as possible if we wish to develop better communications with magical creatures as well as to try and avoid the more pretentious purebloods." Agreeing, Lia took the bundle from Amelia who left to continue her new duties. Cautiously and carefully, Lia perused the documents, signing where necessary and crossing out or adding in what she thought was appropriate. By lunchtime, she was finally done and her fingertips stained with ink.

Rubbing her eyes, Lia smiled contentedly as she shuffled the papers. Spotting a small button near her built-in inkpot, Lia pressed it and her Junior Secretary rushed in moments later. Surprised, Lia remembered that Harry had mentioned that one of the Weasleys, Percy if she remembered correctly, was her Junior Secretary. Smiling pleasantly at him, she gestured to the chair opposite her desk. Picking up her papers, she began, "Percy Weasley isn't it?" Seeing him straighten in his chair confirmed this and she smiled at him again. "Would you mind doing a few things for me? I need this papers filed as soon as possible, they're rather important and I would prefer it, ah, certain parties were unaware until it is too late." Seeing the headings on each parchment, Percy smiled at her and nodded understandingly. "I can do that quite easily Minister, is there anything else I can do?" grinning at his enthusiasm, Lia furrowed her eyebrows for a second before her face cleared. "Yes actually, would you be kind enough to fetch Arthur Weasley for me? Also I would like to make an appointment to meet with the Director of Gringotts. I'm free on these times," she passed him a piece of ripped parchment, "And if he could get back to me before the end of the week I would appreciate it; I don't mind either where he would like to meet as long as we can discuss several matters. Thank you Mr Weasley."

Sensing the dismissal, Percy smiled and left the room; happy to fulfil his duties. Several minutes later, Lia put her quill down as someone knocked at the door. Pushing her chair back slightly, Lia pointed her wand at the door and called calmly, "Come in." once she knew it was indeed Arthur Weasley, she put her wand down and gestured towards the chairs by the fireplace. Settling down, she poured herself some herbal tea while offering Mr Weasley some. After several minutes sipping tea, Lia placed down her cup and turned to face a nervous Arthur. "My apologies Mr Weasley for pointing my wand at you as you entered, in these times you can never be too sure." Smiling at him, she watched as he relaxed and nodded to her understandingly. "Now I wanted to speak with you about your department," breaking off suddenly, Lia looked concernedly at Arthur who turned pale and began talking feverishly, "I know we're a small department Minister but we have always worked hard with the small amount that we have and we have sorted out several of the Ministry's problems and…"

Holding up a hand, Lia smiled kindly at him and picked up several papers from her briefcase. "Mr Weasley, may I call you Arthur? I did not call you here to terminate your department," Arthur visibly relaxed then turned red as he realised that he had babbled on. "Though I did want to discuss with you the future of your department. I looked through past records and saw several disturbing things. As you said, your department is small and terribly underfunded. I have here, a form detailing that we are going to triple your departments funds and change the name to 'Muggle Communications Division' and I would like you to be Head of the Department." Sipping her tea, Lia smiled behind her cup as Arthur stared in wonder at the form she had given him. Looking up at her, he smiled and said softly, "Thank you Minister. This is more than we could have hoped for." Waving off his thanks, she turned to look at him sternly. "However there are certain things I would like to see. I would like for you and those working in your department to attend an evening computer course in the muggle world and any others that you deem necessary, so that you have more of an understanding behind it all. It will be taken as part of your department's funds of course. I will also expect that all new employees to be held to the same standard. Is that alright?" Practically bouncing in his seat Arthur thanked her and went back to his desk to spread the good news.

Sitting back in her chair, Lia drank the last of her tea before picking up another form and deciding to stretch her legs. Walking through the corridors of the Ministry was strange as everyone greeted her with a smile, a wave or an eager "Good Day Minister." To which she always responded in kind with a smile upon her face. Finally reaching her destination, she knocked politely on the door and waited until a tall, bald African man opened the door. Upon seeing her, his eyes widened and greeted her in a deep baritone, "Good Day Minister."

Grinning wryly she greeted him and stepped inside the Auror Department. All around her Auror's were trying to tidy up the mess while standing to attention. Laughing lightly, she turned to the Auror who opened the door, "Is you're Director free for a moment?" Following Auror Shacklebolt down the corridor, she passed several Auror's, greeting them cheerfully as she went. One Auror in particular Lia remembered. As she passed, the Auror turned her hair from its vibrant pink to a more standard brown as she spotted Lia. Auror Shacklebolt greeted her, "Auror Tonks." Smiling, Lia nodded at the girl as she passed. Pausing at a door on the far end of the corridor, Lia thanked Shacklebolt and knocked on the door.

Almost instantly it flew open and Lia had just enough time to raise a shield before sending back several curses of her own as she stepped out of the direct line of fire. Behind her, she could hear the Auror's scrambling around as they tried to rectify whatever damage Moody's spells had caused. Deep laughter could be heard as Moody came to greet her at the door. Shaking her hand, he boomed. "Now that's how it's down lass! Finally, a Minister worth their salt. Come in and we can discuss whatever you wanted to talk about."


End file.
